Not In My Head!

Anybody get the tense gut feeling when the Doctor you are entrusting with health, tells you "Everything looks normal, lets try anti-depressants"? You know there is something wrong inside your body not your head. How many visits did you make to the Doctors office or even the ER? Did you leave feeling as if your more confused than when you arrived. Your not alone.

Adrenal Fatigue has no IDC code, which means in the insurance world it doesn't exist. How can a Doctor get paid if he/she finds a diagnosis with no payment attached. Very few people in the medical community are aware of AFS, I know I am a RN. When I tell co-workers what my issue, only 1 Doctor understood and was aware of AFS. I got so excited to have validation. Yes, I did manage to go back to work after my diagnosis last year. However, I have to watch everything I eat and carefully manage my supplements. It took 3 months to feel better and 6 months to feel good. Unfortunately I am still pushing myself to get even healthier and by doing so I got worse. I went on the hcg diet, thinking I could rid my body of toxins and heal the hypothalamus. During the diet I got food poisoned a kidney infection, followed by an ear infection, gall bladder surgery and yet another kidney infection! Too much! So where are my boot straps! I did this before and I WILL do it again........heal.

I am here writing this story, which in the big picture means very little. What the purpose is: Shake and Wake the medical community to take hold and help. Be Aware, Validate and Help. There are the resources for the research needed. The fear is there is not the ability to patent and sell good nutrition, sleep, exercise and a smile.

I think I'm in Stage 3B or 3C... I'm in the first week with Dr Lam. I have no one really to full time support me... I live in Los Angeles mostly on my own, no family here. Made a few new friends at church but I will be living with a roommate who is a stranger to me as I just lost my place to live. It is comforting to at least see that 1) others have the same symptoms so I'm pretty sure that's what I have and 2) people get better. I'm still working, somehow, though anxiety, insomnia and depression randomly show up for hours.

Has anyone had any of the mind/brain connection problems. I often see weird pictures in my mind or feel like I'm going crazy....can't bear to see pics of people doing things or being happy bothers me, can't read any books or magazines, papers, etc. Have terrible insomnia and lay awake often from 3 or 4am to 7am with these weird pictures and thoughts going thru my head....also have the anxiety, low energy, high heart rate (am on pills to bring it down) but it's still somewhat high, especially when stressed. I've started Dr. Lam's treatment 4 weeks ago and do have some more energy but have to stay home for 8 weeks and avoid stimulation, stay calm, relax, avoid stress.....but lots of stress in my family right now not suppose to go out. Am also on xanax for the anxiety.

I would bet big money that I have this. I have not been getting anyhelp since my Hashimoto's diagnosis. Thus I have been rearching every thing I possibly can to find out what is causing my symptoms of fatigue, exhaustion, exct. I bet you can't guess what kind of useless meicine every doc want to perscribe....Yup; antidepresant,.<br /><br />I am seeing my doc on tuesday and I am going to bring in the book where I found the info.<br /><br />Have any of you had the salivia test or any other test for this. I or age diagnosis ba<x>sed soley on symptoms?

I too was prescribed anti-depressants by MDs, which of course don't improve AF at all, and you get whatever side effects the anti-depressants induce - yay.<br /><br />I've been working with a local ND who specializes in fatigue and AF, that has been helpful. I recommend trying to find someone similar in your area.<br /><br />Best wishes.

Rebecca, I sooo can relate. All the regular MDs want to do is give me more antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds. according to their labwork, everything looks great! VERY frustrating. I've worked with a couple of alternative docs and it is such a relief to talk with someone who doesn't think you are crazy. I don't know if I have just given up too quickly, but have been very disappointed with my lack of recovery. <br />I don't think I'm familiar with Dr.Lam, going to look him up. <br />It seems like no matter what I do, I keep ending up right back where I started, stressed out and exhausted and in bed all day long.<br />I think the key is going to be to re-learn how to handle stress, and to re-educate my body about appropriate stress response.<br />And meanwhile, diet, lifestyle, supplements....

RebbecaB, i so feel your pain and hope that you heal once again. life is like a boxing match sometimes, you have to keep rolling with the punches and fighting for your life. i am encouraged by your story. i am still in the first month of recovery and hoping i can get back up to go back to school and help my family out. thanks again

RebbecaB, i so feel your pain and hope that you heal once again. life is like a boxing match sometimes, you have to keep rolling with the punches and fighting for your life. i am encouraged by your story. i am still in the first month of recovery and hoping i can get back up to go back to school and help my family out. thanks again

Wow, this is very similar to what i am feeling. i also am pretty much in stage 3C as Dr. Lam describes. It's frustrating at times because there will be a day or two when things seem like they are coming back to normal and then BOOM...the crash arives and sometimes unfortunately so does the depression about the physiological conflict going on inside me that no one understands. I don't desire this on anyone. Thank you for sharing your story, it's nice to know that i am not the only one dealing with this. I just got diagnosed by a BodyLogic MD doctor and am waiting for my hormones and supplements to arrive from some special compounding pharmacy. There is always hope! I too pray and have a wonderful wife and mother who are supportive of me.

My symptoms have been extreme fatigue, nervousness, inability to handle ANY stress, intolerance to tv or other loud noises, dry skin, after crashing I got and still have shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, hypoglycemia tendencies, insomnia, (had diarreah until I started on digestive enzymes and betaine), sudden hunger, etc. Keep in mind that acccording to Dr. Lam's protocol, I am in Stage 3, C, which is pretty depleted. Folks it is real, it is caused by stress and a bad diet. The kind of stress that really contributes is "unresolved conflict". Something that is ongoing that you feel you have no control over. Sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and fast carbs GREATLY contribute to adrenal fatigue - burnout. I have done a lot of research and reading, and it pretty much comes down to you having to make a lot of lifestyle changes to heal. Avoid conflict like the plague! Eat your low glycemic index fruits such as green apples, blueberries. Eat a lot of protein and vegetables. Add healthy fats. Avoid dairy. Sugar and caffeine are nutrient robbers. They take and do not give back. There are no quick fixes. The body took a while to get to the catabolic state, and takes a while to get back to healing. I think it takes cells 120 days to replace themselves, or build a whole new you. I have good days, and then bad days. Been working on this for almost a month now. When I have stress, I revert back to several bad days in a row. I keep a journal so that I can look back at the good days and know that they are there....that I didn't just imagine them. It also helps to have a buddy. I found a wonderful woman in NJ who was sick for a very long time and had so many unneccessary procedures and things done to her, and after years finally someone put her on supplements and a good diet. She got well! After being in bed for years! There is hope! When I was in my twenties, I had a period of unresolved conflict, and I ate like pathetically then, and I had the same type symptoms. It took me a long time to get well then, but I did stupid things like consume diet caffeine free coke, which was like drinking a form of battery acid. I also still ate high carbs. Just avoided sugar. I pray a lot and celebrate the good days. Give the adrenals good nutrients from food (lots of vegs), and supplementation. My ND has me on Isocort, which is an over the counter (order online) adrenal supplement. I am also on Dr. Lam's program...just started last week, and I'm taking Lipo-NanoC (gives a great energy boost), and am supposed to start on several more supplements next week. Recovery, they say, is very possible. It takes determination and patience. But well worth it in the end, I know! If you suffer from this, you are in my prayers. I know the trauma it brings, and the loneliness. KNOW that you are not alone. Get on here and tell your story. Especially your successes! People need to hear them! Blessings.................

My symptoms have been extreme fatigue, nervousness, inability to handle ANY stress, intolerance to tv or other loud noises, dry skin, after crashing I got and still have shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, hypoglycemia tendencies, insomnia, (had diarreah until I started on digestive enzymes and betaine), sudden hunger, etc. Keep in mind that acccording to Dr. Lam's protocol, I am in Stage 3, C, which is pretty depleted. Folks it is real, it is caused by stress and a bad diet. The kind of stress that really contributes is "unresolved conflict". Something that is ongoing that you feel you have no control over. Sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and fast carbs GREATLY contribute to adrenal fatigue - burnout. I have done a lot of research and reading, and it pretty much comes down to you having to make a lot of lifestyle changes to heal. Avoid conflict like the plague! Eat your low glycemic index fruits such as green apples, blueberries. Eat a lot of protein and vegetables. Add healthy fats. Avoid dairy. Sugar and caffeine are nutrient robbers. They take and do not give back. There are no quick fixes. The body took a while to get to the catabolic state, and takes a while to get back to healing. I think it takes cells 120 days to replace themselves, or build a whole new you. I have good days, and then bad days. Been working on this for almost a month now. When I have stress, I revert back to several bad days in a row. I keep a journal so that I can look back at the good days and know that they are there....that I didn't just imagine them. It also helps to have a buddy. I found a wonderful woman in NJ who was sick for a very long time and had so many unneccessary procedures and things done to her, and after years finally someone put her on supplements and a good diet. She got well! After being in bed for years! There is hope! When I was in my twenties, I had a period of unresolved conflict, and I ate like pathetically then, and I had the same type symptoms. It took me a long time to get well then, but I did stupid things like consume diet caffeine free coke, which was like drinking a form of battery acid. I also still ate high carbs. Just avoided sugar. I pray a lot and celebrate the good days. Give the adrenals good nutrients from food (lots of vegs), and supplementation. My ND has me on Isocort, which is an over the counter (order online) adrenal supplement. I am also on Dr. Lam's program...just started last week, and I'm taking Lipo-NanoC (gives a great energy boost), and am supposed to start on several more supplements next week. Recovery, they say, is very possible. It takes determination and patience. But well worth it in the end, I know! If you suffer from this, you are in my prayers. I know the trauma it brings, and the loneliness. KNOW that you are not alone. Get on here and tell your story. Especially your successes! People need to hear them! Blessings.................

You can get a great book by Dr. James Wilson, The 21st Centry Syndrome ( I beleive). That will get you started in the right direction, don't give up. Just relax and push until you find the peace with your doctor or yourself.<br /><br />Rebecca

Rebecca, what were your symtpoms? I have come across adrenal fatigue recently after going through all kinds of tests and basically slowly healing over the past year and a half by taking good care of myself. Adrenal Fatigue or exhaustion sounds like it could be somewhere up my alley. Any information would be great?

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